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Subject:

Oak Grove Area October update

From:

"Lovelace, Glen (DelDOT)"

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Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Fri, 29 Oct 2004 15:54:53 -0400

Hello All,
        Having just met a looming deadline at work, I now have some spare
time to catch up on my bird reports.  Let me backtrack to October 10.

October 10: A foggy morning that gave way to sunshine.  The birding began in
the yard with a Flicker drumming on the barn roof.  On Oak Grove Rd (MD), 10
Savannah Sp and 8 Meadowlark in the vicinity of the abandoned yellow house,
2 adult Bald Eagles sitting on the irrigation and a 3rd bird, an immature,
flying by (A 3rd year bird later made 4 eagles - tying a high count).  On
Horseshoe Rd at the stream crossing (DE), a nice mixed flock inc. ~40 Cedar
Waxwings, a Pewee, the first returning GC Kinglet and Yellow-Rumps (the
harbinger of the end of warbler migration as they were the only warbler
seen) and a Screech Owl responding to the tape.  On the farm, the last
lingering Bobolink (DE), House Wren, Bobwhite, Catbird, Swamp Sp and the
last Blue Grosbeak (MD).  Finally, there was a RB Nuthatch sitting on the
powerline on Wild Turkey Rd (DE).  49 species total.  Also a 4 point buck, 3
foot long Black Snake sunning on the RR and a 6 inch Hognose Snake in our
porch.  I tried to remove it, but it escaped under the house, not to be seen
again.

October 11:  mid afternoon I was sitting at the computer next to an open
window.  A sound like twigs snapping caught my attention.  Turned out to be
a White-Breasted Nuthatch working on the tree right outside.  #144 for the
year and the first WB Nut since 2001.  The bird continued through the week.
WB Nut seems to be irruptive in the middle of Delmarva.  I have only one
mid-shore summer observation (by the pond on Nagel Rd, west of Federalsburg,
while atlasing, 6/8/03) and they are present only in some winters and never
in numbers (Seaford CBC high count is 9, but the 2nd high count is only 4,
16/21 years).

October 16:  Walked the farm perimeter.  Along the railroad in the vicinity
of the line marker (one of the corner of the property is a Mason-Dixon
marker), a nice mixed flock conveniently paraded by as I stood in one spot.
It included 2 Swamp Sp., House Wren, a Yellowthroat, Pewee, Phoebe, RC
Kinglet, Palm Warbler, a late Indigo Bunting and a Red-Breasted Nuthatch
plus 2 American Pipits and 3 Tree Swallows flying over.  Down near the RR
crossing at N. Oak Grove Rd (DE), there were 3 immature White-Crowned
Sparrows, the first of the fall and in one of the traditional local spots.
At the back of the farm (MD), I flushed 9 Wild Turkey from the soybeans
around the pond and they all flew in the woods.  Always neat to see turkey
fly.  In the cutoff woods behind the farm, there were masses of sparrows.
The vegetation is now approx. 6-7 feet tall (4 yrs since it was cut) so it
is getting increasingly difficult to see big flocks of birds, try to
identify and count them all.  My estimate was 40 White-Throats, 25 Song, 9
Junco, 2 Swamp, 6 Chipping and 6 Field plus 3 Towhee.  Further back along
the RR, I flushed the covey of Bobwhite again (2nd time in 4 weeks).  It is
at least 14 birds and good to see that they had a good year here.  Also a
Brown Creeper to go with RB and WB Nut which is probably the first time I
have had that hat trick at home on a single day (or at least since 1997, the
last year that had all 3 species).  49 species total plus 1 doe, 1 squirrel
and 1 box turtle.

October 24:  Since I walked the farm last week, I decided to survey the
roads this week.  It was cloudy and dreary with a period of drizzle, but
there was still decent activity throughout.  At the RR crossing on N. Oak
Grove Rd (DE), the was a mixed flock of finches inc. 10 House and 15
Goldfinch.  I was hoping for something better mixed in, but no luck.  A one
of each group of sparrows inc. Song, Savannah and Vesper.  The fall's first
Winter Wren was heard on Horseshoe Rd (DE), a flock of approx. 80 pipits on
Wild Turkey Rd (DE) and 2 Cooper's Hawks and a Screech Owl on Kinder Rd
(MD).  As I pulled back into the driveway, I thought I should stop and check
the feeders before I scared everything away.  Good thing because there was a
female/immature Purple Finch sitting on the sunflower feeder (#145 and the
first since 1997).  It was later joined by a second bird.  Also had 2 WB
Nuts in the yard.

October 28: Shelly saw a male Purple Finch at the feeder for about 5
minutes.

October 29: WB Nut continues and a Chipping Sparrow in the yard with the
juncos.

A few comments to some recent MD Osprey threads:
"Turkey Condor" has got to be an oxymoron.  Personally, I learned Buzzard
before I was a birder, but they are still Buzzards.  Likewise, kestrel are
still Sparrow Hawks.

As my post illustrates, I prefer the narrative form of report.  I like to
get the story of each person's day of birding rather than a simple list.
Harry Armistead's reports are always entertaining and enjoyable reading.  On
DE-birds, Colin Campbell's recent posts have been downright hilarious
accounts (for those only on Osprey, check out "Deepest Delaware" from early
September on the DE-birds archive).  A dry list of Colin's finds for that
day would have paled in comparison.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
Seaford, DE